Finding the Way Back
by EmmiG
Summary: What is going on in the Big House? Where's Leo? Tartarus? ...They couldn't have really been there. Right? The demigods at Camp Half-Blood are kept in the dark about what exactly happened overseas and what the journey was like. The only source of knowledge is how the campers act and what is overheard. Told through PTSD episodes and strange interactions with Percy and Annabeth.
1. The Return

**I do not own any character of the series. This starts back as soon as members of the Seven return.**

The day had been touch and go since the group had arrived. How does everyone react once back home after so much stress, destruction, and death? The camp buzzed with gossip as the ship loomed overhead and 1, 2, 3…6 demigods walked off, Percy and Annabeth being the last. They would soon learn over the next two days bits and pieces about what happened. Where was Leo? What happened? How was Percy?

Annabeth was off last because she now had to guide the ship with the information Leo gave her. But where was her laptop? The group slowly unloaded what few personal items they had with them in a box for each person, and it didn't take long for word to get around that Annabeth had lost her laptop and dagger. That just created more gossip; how does _Annabeth_ lose her belongings? The Aphrodite cabin just awed at how often Annabeth and Percy were together, how close they always were, how their eyes darted quickly until finding the other. And ignored the pressing questions they heard.

The only resident of the Poseidon cabin smiled at everyone politely but timidly when he wasn't holding Annabeth's hand. He didn't go to the lake in his free time as much as he usually did in the previous summers, he just walked to the Big House and stayed there for hours. The second day they were their gossip got impossibly juicer; why did their leader have a Roman tattoo? The whole time the camp battled with and against them he supported them? He was taken from the camp but Percy Jackson developed a sort of Stockholm Syndrome for the only recently tolerated Romans?

* * *

The greetings only lasted five minutes to the camp before Chiron was trotting through the crowd and came face to face with the children pictured on his bulletin board. The couple embraced him immediately and started shaking. That was odd to the campers, but immediately understood. Percy hadn't seen him in months, no contact, and they had to travel back from Athens from another prophecy battle. Hades, the whole camp should be shaking.

Percy wiped his eyes and mumbled something to the centaur while grabbing the blonde's hand once more. The Apollo kid closest swore later that day that it was about IMing Sally Jackson. From there the group walked numbly to the Big House and didn't emerge until dinner. _What were they talking about? What happened?_

The group was aware of the staring as they lined up for their offerings before dinner. Piper shivered at the notion, remembering the awful voice and shaking earth that accompanied it in the name of an 'offering.' They all talked and waved to those they remembered before leaving, and after a brave camper from the Hecate cabin tapped Percy on the shoulders, making him flinch, and welcomed him back the table had cabin counselors arriving at the table every five minutes to give credit where it was due.

The group became livelier at that; after spending the day just starting to describe what happened, old friends and siblings were a site for sore eyes.

That night's dinner was the loudest one in months, almost starting a small celebration for the return of such vital parts to the camp. The gossip was heavy, and intense in the Dining Pavilion and later filled with speculation when the night came.

* * *

Everyone dispersed to their cabins after such an eventful day. Just as earlier, stares followed the campers and others acted as spies, vying for any information about the group's quest that they could tell their cabin triumphantly. Bragging rights were in the balance as the sun lowered completely in the sky. Someone had heard Annabeth threw her dagger in the ocean. Many speculated which animal killed Leo, and how he died since he was no longer with the group. A Hermes camper swore he heard that Annabeth and Percy broke up, but were just comforting each other. The same was then questioned for Jason and his girlfriend; were they together still?

The Aphrodite cabin spied on their mother's favorite couple across the camp. Percy and Annabeth stood by the entrance of her cabin hugging tightly. No one had to be a descendant of Athena to know what they were talking about and clinging to each other for. The last time Annabeth kissed Percy goodnight at the camp he was stolen by Hera and she was eft alone for months. Some didn't even pretend to not stare as the couple shared such an intimate moment.

The camp winded down after much buzz with small lights flickering inside the Athena and Poseidon cabins.

The first screams woke all demigods, created a mad scramble for weapons and armor, and had doors flying open at two in the morning. Was there a monster attack? Gods fighting again? Was the prophecy not complete? After the cries for help and loud bangs became louder a silence fell upon everyone.

This wasn't a monster invading camp. The prophecy did not have a round two. Those were the bloodcurdling screams of demigods in agony.

" _PERCY! Where are you_?" Heads turned to Cabin 6 as the realization came. _They were having nightmares_. What _happened_ in Athens? The strongest people the demigods knew where now screaming loud enough to wake the whole camp without a fear of harpies eating campers.

Chiron was trotting out from the Big House on the hill. Piper ran into the Athena cabin with her sleep shoes slipping on dirt to help her friend as Jason ran to Cabin 3. Demigods didn't know where to look as Piper tried to soothe a screaming Annabeth and the lights flickered on in the Poseidon cabin. _Why were Jason and Piper not having these terrible nightmares?_ No one knew if this was worth the gossip…this was just demoralizing.

Some turned their attention to the crashing that occurred in the Poseidon cabin. Was that water being splashed?

The window of the Athena cabin revealed shadows of a thrashing camper in her bed.

"WHERE'S PERCY? Why did he leave me?!" Gasps sounded as Chiron stopped as well, at a loss for who to go to first.

"Where's Annabeth?" The shouting of Cabin 3 turned into a thudding and yelling of a very much alert camper.

"WHERE IS SHE?" Jason emerged first, running out of the cabin as a terrifying looking Percy darted across the crowd. His face was contorted in pain and morphed into what looked like anger when he passed a child of Demeter who was in the way of the cabin entrance. Annabeth's sibling were scrambled next to the daughter and flinched with her as Percy passed and yelled to get out of his way.

"I CAN'T SEE YOU! I CANT-"

"I'm right here, wake up! Wake up!" The campers could hear Percy, whose voice was an indoor one now, change his tone to calm the disoriented daughter of Athena. If the camp hadn't been so confused and curious about what was going on they wouldn't have heard such a private conversation. But a radio silence continued as demigods were collectively gathered in sleepwear and armory to help friends who couldn't be assisted.

"-worry. Wise Girl wake up. I'm here, I didn't leave you." Piper walked out with a somber expression but was paid no attention as campers vied to hear the couple talking.

"You're here? Is this real?" Annabeth's voice was erratic and louder than Percy's as many fumbled forward to the cabin. Chiron trotted lightly to the outside of the doorway as the voices continued.

"We are at camp. I'm here with you. I didn't leave you. We're together." A sob rung out after the heartfelt words were spoken.

"I saw Nyx again, I imagined I opened my eyes in the Mansion of Night. Percy I thought I fell into the River," a sob rang out once more. "The pulsing was all I could hear. I couldn't find you! You got lost in the darkness."

They met _Nyx? Mansion of Night?_ Campers immediately started a buzz of conversation while Annabeth's siblings huddled with calculated looks. The Hecate campers shifted uncomfortably, their grandma technically speaking was the cause of this breakdown from what everyone thought.

Chiron intervened and walked through the doorway and told them to go to the Big House with him. Campers shifted about, preparing to see what the demigods inside looked like.

"Campers thank you for being alert and prepared to be heroes tonight. Go back to your cabins immediately." His tone was stern despite the implied compliment, and his face worried.

The campers dispersed slowly to get a glance at the couple and the cause of the shifting and thudding inside the cabin. And as soon as they stepped out whispers swarmed the yard.

Percy had Annabeth nestled in his side and an arm covering her as he talked in her ear. Her hair overlapped with his because of their proximity. She had flip flops with a toe in the wrong place, indicating that Percy had slipped them on moments ago. Both were shaking as they stepped and whispered to themselves among the talking already going on.

The crowd froze and watched the complete and total wreck Annabeth was, Percy only being slightly better as his eyes flickered and blinked fast, as if trying to push something from his mind.

As soon as they wondering out of hearing range the Athena campers heaved and grabbed their head and hearts dramatically. One ran inside of the cabin.

"What happened to your sister?" They didn't register who posed the question and huddled around the book brought out of the cabin.

" _Oh my gods_. They couldn't have." The book was ripped from one set of hands to the next.

"There is no way they saw Nyx. It's impossible," the sister spoke up to respond to the mystery camper.

"Why?" Another asked.

"Well Nyx is doomed to Tartarus. Her Mansion? It would be there as well. And well… the river she mentioned could be the River Acheron from what we know of Tartarus. The only way to see her would be to visit in person. I- I think they were there," her voice broke.

Gasped, whispers, and speculation started up amongst everyone. Eyes turned to Jason and Piper for confirmation. They looked at each other and started running to follow their friends to the Big House. That was all the confirmation the campers needed. Their heroes had gone to _Tartarus_ and back.

 **So what? It's my senior year and I started writing again, it feels great. This may develop into a short story, let me know if you want more or any suggestions in a review. Thank you for reading!**


	2. The Next Morning

The next morning was… different to say the least. The atmosphere throughout camp was distressed. Not that it couldn't be; a second prophecy within the same lifetime of the demigods was rare, they had bonded with their once hated Roman counterparts, they had _won a war against Titans_. But all of that could be chalked up to the life of a demigod, simply put that was their duty as fighters.

But those who returned back to camp? What they had gone through to fight for them? That was bravery on another level. Their heroes, mentors, _family_ , had fallen into hell as if they were the scum they fought. They weren't monsters! They weren't traitors of the camp by Roman or Greek standards. _Why them? How could the gods sacrifice them to save themselves?_

If that didn't twist their beliefs of their parents nothing really could. The feelings of being a demigod varied; a love for their parents, a hate, or a permissiveness. Having a godly parent essentially leaves children with one parent…and if that human parent wasn't loving or decent at heart… well the camp knew very well what could happen and how it affected Luke. No one wanted to be a Luke and dealt with the hand their given. But the thing that many went to bed with was curiosity. _Why did they go to Tartarus?_ Were they punished? Did a monster pull them in? _Could monsters do that?_ Can they ask them about it? Were Percy and Annabeth the only ones who went? Were they born again? Was that a gift of Hades or from the gods? ... What happened?

* * *

Breakfast consisted of many eyeing the couple at their perspective tables, talking in a hushed manor, or respecting their emotions and trying to carry a normal conversation. Percy sat at his table with a satyr, possibly giving an update on Grover, who had yet to return home. Or maybe even Coach Hedge and his new daughter. Annabeth? Her siblings hounded her with questions that she only half answered as she looked at the fresh strawberries from the field on her pancakes. Bags stayed under her eyes, bruises were lightly discolored over their limbs; the same as the son of Poseidon. Their eyes collectively darted to each other every other minute, almost reminiscent of Chris when he escaped the Labyrinth and distrusted his surroundings.

Seeing them in the daylight for this long allowed the Greeks and Romans to analyze them. Only the Greeks could wonder why Percy Jackson would possibly have scratches or bruises- he held the Curse of Achilles. Annabeth, the strongest broken leader the camp had come to know over the months without Percy appeared… damaged? Was that a way to describe the daughter of Athena? Never in a million years, or at least not in the First War.

The Roman campers sat in their designated tables that had been pulled out of the Big House basement and assembled by various members of both camps. Now that they had fought together and bonded more less fights broke out but the same spats occurred. 'You Greeks are so sloppy' and 'Roman scum!' could be heard during activities and competitions to strengthen fighting skills and comradery in preparation for a more coordinated battle. But even the Romans eyed the two who had messy breakdowns just hours ago.

After the somber buzz of breakfast the emotion definitely changed as the Big House made an announcement.

"Campers, Greek and Roman, please use this day to catch up on studies and recording the events that have occurred. A shroud burning for those lost will be in the Amphitheater tomorrow night. If addressed previously, please finish speaking for our fallen heroes. Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson please come to my office as soon as possible. Thank you."

Chiron sounded half-awake in the announcement, due to the gravity of the night's events. Obeying his orders, the two came together after standing, left their dishes for the nymphs to clean, and joined hands and clung to each other. Percy's hand clasped hers tight, but the rest of his body moved closer as they walked in sync, almost eerie for the demigods to witness.

At night the Big House made another announcement to meet in the Pavilion. Hushed whispers of 'Aren't the laurels tomorrow?' floated amongst campers and satyrs as the crowd moved to the quickly crowded arena. No laurels were out, no fires burning to honor those lost, no speakers or close friends… just a gathering of demigods look quizzically down to the center of nothingness.

Until Chiron walked in with the couple trailing behind, Annabeth looking stronger and holding a notebook and pen. Her head was raised and although she still held strong onto Percy, the demigods could see the strength of her face that could be recognized from the months he was gone. Her brave face was showing. The boy next to her was unreadable, was he ready for battle? For a breakdown? For sleep?

"In light of last night's events I have arranged a temporary leave for these two campers. I'm aware those who have traveled should rest and that you all have fought for the same battle, please talk with me at the end of this session if it is needed. Perseus and Annabeth have been extremely gracious with their recollections, in spite of what they have overcome. I know this is special mental treatment, and that I in no means have to justify this to you all, Greek or Roman. They, however, have insisted that despite the horrors, knowledge should be shared not only to stop untruths from being spread, but also to note a new historical moment that cannot be kept to those who record it. I ask the Cabin of Athena to acquire a device or method of documenting what is said tonight. I'll leave the rest of these explanations to these two."

Once the cabin returned the murmurs died down as the two took the podium. As Annabeth opened her notebook she motioned for Percy to start.

"Well, uh, hello everyone. I don't really know where to start or how, I guess just ask questions that you have before we get into the heavy stuff. I also, uh, don't want to make a big thing of me leaving for a while, you know I wouldn't leave this camp, or not support Camp Jupiter, if I didn't have to. But I haven't seen my mom in," he paused and ran a hand through his hair. "I haven't seen my mom in _months_. I have to go see her, and see how my little sister is growing, I can't have her so worried." He didn't meet anyone's eyes, just reached for Annabeth's hand. "Plus I know I'm going to die when I get home. There's no way in _Hades_ she is going to be with the tattoo thing," he eyed where the Roman campers we sitting and showed it more, some whoops were heard until the Greeks realized what it was. "I'd rather sit on my father's throne again than here the lecture she-"

"Is that _Roman?_ " A yell was heard from the back. The Greeks stirred at the thought of their leader turning Roman.

"Yes, but hear me out. I got to the Roman camp, dumped there really," he grumbled. "And it was no different from how it is here. You have to prove yourself. But to do that _there_ , you kinda show it with a tattoo too."

"So you're not Roman?"

"Yes and no. I am a member of both these camps, but you are both my family." Was he the only one uncomfortable sharing this with everyone? Yes a majority of the people he saw in front of him were his friends but would he reveal the secrets of Tartarus to them?

He had to. This was his _family_. They had searched for him and fought with him, no matter where.

"I know for a fact you have more questions," Annabeth spoke up. "And I certainly do not want to keep this conversation from just two points of view, but I am leaving tonight with Percy. I will be visiting my second mother as well." The campers warmed at Annabeth returning to her normal self in front of them, charged by her best friend next to her, and leading the conversation. "Raise your hand if you have a question?" A sea of hands lifted. "Not about the quest in general, you have Jason, Piper, Nico, and so many others that will do the story justice, I wasn't there for a good part of the end…" Some lowered.

"Okay, we'll go by cabin. Aphrodite first," she said, assuming their questions would be the fastest. Sniggers were heard as one son raised his hand. "Uh," she squinted at a blonde boy, "David."

"So did you guys get it yet? Hashtag Reunion!" He screamed. The crowd roared as Chiron stifled an ill-advised giggle.

"OH MY _Gods,"_ Percy blushed red. Annabeth cursed.

"If you're trying to start something David I'll gladly advance your dagger training. Next person to ask a question on that _same plane_ of topic is going to get a knife to the throat." They quieted until Jason let out a whistle.

"Did they ever," Piper nudged a mortified Hazel. Annabeth slammed her notebooks suddenly.

"Piper _McLean_ ," she seethed.

"Hey! Can we be serious?!" a Hebe child yelled. "What happened last night?!" Again, the campers shook their head with reason and shut up out of curiosity.

"That was," Annabeth paused. "That was a nightmare, I get them quite often since uh-"

"Since falling." Percy finished and shuffled his feet. Another hand raised, the plan to go by cabin was discarded when Annabeth's sibling raised his hand silently, the one not in a cast from battle.

"Malcolm," her voice was quiet. She knew his question, she had heard the buzz follow her since the morning. They meet eyes when he started.

"Annabeth, did you go to Tartarus?" The gravity of the question made those shift. If saying Zeus' name had power, naming the literal hellhole of their world seemed to shake everyone. Her and Percy's expression changed as he looked to her softly, her expression broke the strong persona.

"Yes," she breathed. Gasps sounded and hands shot up in uproar.

"How?!" "How long?" Did you see any monsters?" "Can they be killed there?" "Is it like the writings?"

Chiron stepped in and warned them to give them time.

"So it wasn't planned, obviously. We were, in Rome and I had to follow the Mark of Athena. She gave me the task before the gods completely stopped seeing us. I had to find the Athena Parthenos, it gave us the power to stop the enemy," she avoided saying the Earth Goddesses name. "But to get it the Mark lead me through the trials that only children of Athena could face, there were so many bones," she recalled. "Our brothers and sisters that weren't strong enough for Mom," there was no mistaking the undertone in her voice. Was it resentment?

"I passed the trials, but the last one… Malcolm the last one was _Arachne_." Campers shuffled closer, trying to hear her as she got quieter and only spoke to her brother. "I mean, I tricked her, I _won_ , and I got the statue… but her lair was above an entrance to that world. And when we pulled the Parthenos out, a parking garage sank in and it broke the webs that held her lair together, so the hole just _opened_.

"I got out, Percy was walking with me to the ship, but then a web had my foot. I lost my laptop, my dagger, my _balance_. She knew she was going to hell but she wanted to drag me too. So she did." Malcolm looked floored as his siblings around him write furiously and he mouthed apologies to her.

"But wait-" a Nemesis child spoke quietly in the silence. "Did Percy…? How did you fall?" He looked around, blushed ever so slightly. Little known irony to her, it was her mother's promise of sacrifice that claimed the two demigods.

"I couldn't let her go." It was simply put and impacted so many.

"You _fell_ into _Tartarus_ for her? Why?"

"Being there with her is a better option than the thought of being her without her." He seemed to age as he revealed it to them, but it took him a second to realize how cheesy it was. He covered his face for a second as his cheeked reddened.

" _Oh my gods_ ," the Aphrodite cabin slowly let out, some fake crying.

"But it wasn't that big a deal right? How long were you there? You're invincible."

"I lost the Curse of Achilles in the river of New Rome. I didn't really have anything special to help. The fall was… long. We fell into the River Phlegethon, which cushioned us enough not to kill us but still. We aren't meant to be there. Blisters form all over just being there and the air is gray and toxic. It burns," he recalls, mildly flinching. "Besides," he continued to the question. "I was too cursed to heal, Bob helped us."

"Bob the Titan?" Clarisse recalled.

"Yeah, when a few empousi attacked us I called him. He helped us, he thought I was still his friend. But, once he saw me, his memories came back, sooner or later he remembered what I convinced him to do. He's a good Titan," Percy had to leave Bob a good legacy. "We wouldn't have survived there without him, he took us to a healer."

"They have healers there?"

"Yeah, he was an old school dragon cursed to fight every day. He took us there after we fought these evil spirits. When we kill monsters we know that they evaporate to there," Annabeth started explaining. "But when we kill them they can put curses on us, and _they do._ We fought and every curse we killed we gained. The monsters got their revenge over the years… they curse you with anything and they let you know who did it."

"Not just the monsters," Percy muttered.

"Like people?" A random voice from the left called the question.

"Yes, as long as their within our world. Nymphs, monsters, Titans, immortals."

"What was a curse you received?" morbid curiosity had overtaken the arena. The couple looked at each other deeply.

"Blindness, it's what my nightmares are mainly about. I was cursed to always believe Percy left me." Noises went out once more in the Aphrodite cabin and Annabeth's siblings desperately tried to understand as they scribbled.

"What monster would care about that? Not being able to find someone? I'd think they'd wish us dead."

"It wasn't a monster," Percy started. "The curses I received were like that, monsters from my first quest even. One cursed me with a twitchy eye," he threw his hands up in amazement. "I don't know. Calypso cursed the blindness, after I left her island I suppose. I told the gods to let her be free but… I never checked. I just _assumed. M_ aybe she cursed Annabeth because she thought I forgot her or… I don't know. I don't understand how she could have that much _hatred_." He looked baffled as he shared his previous fling and recalled walking into this very theater, walked into his funeral.

"So how did you get past monsters? Is there water?"

"Fire water, that all there is, that's all we had," Annabeth shrugged. The sting of the fire singed her throat in memory.

"You drank fire?" Another Hebe child spoke up.

"Yes, but all I wanted was a cheeseburger," Percy yawned and leaned on the podium.

* * *

The questions continued into the night from the Greeks and Romans until the bedtimes had been pushed back. The heroes finished the questions and completely recalled the journey and led to what the others did and sat down for the others to explain what occurred in their absence, where they had been, their quest, the battle.

Annabeth and Percy settled down in one of the front seats and held each other, Percy's head lulling back and resting on her mess of curls. They drifted off into sleep as the campers recovered from the weight of Tartarus and their close recovery and asked new questions to Piper in the background. As they neared their deepest sleep the memories came back.

Percy's date on the strawberry field melted into black ash, his arms red and blistered, his breathe labored and think with smoke. Riptide felt unsteady in his hand as Annabeth was in from of him, staring at Nyx. Her children fighting over them and the Goddess of Night became impatient. As they were convincing them of the tour they were on their mother became impatient and lunged at Annabeth. She blackened his vision as her heard her screams. So loud, so _vivid_ , so _there_. Next to him, in front, horrible, wrecked, screaming his name.

"Percy! Perseus!" She slurred and yelled more until the campers couldn't take any more of the screams, the flailing, and the terror. The satyr behind them shoved them out of their seat while Chiron came near. Annabeth fell first reaching out, having Percy thud on top of her. The two scrambled and examined each other frantically with hands and half thorough investigations of the limbs. Percy's hands grasped her crying face and kissed her quickly before loosely piling her body onto his lap in a hug. Her face couldn't be seen under his arms, tucked into his chest, and the two were still oblivious to their audience as Jason walked slowly to him.

"Perce," he reached out and gently nudged his shoulder. His head darted up rapidly and drew Riptide with his right hand as his left still held onto Annabeth. He roughly pointed it at him until he realized where he was and dropped it. The Celestial Bronze clattered and he reached for Jason to help him up and help Annabeth as well. Her eyes looked closed as she was helped up and she yawned while they both shook. She calmly picked up the discarded notebook and walked with Percy out of the arena.

Campers looked on, not sure if they were feeling amazed or terrified of how in sync the couple was. The retelling of Tartarus was terrifying, let alone what they must have personally saw. The campers shivered as Chiron called the information session and bid the teens goodnight, ending the eve on an eerie note.

 **Hello! I'm alive, just a freshman in college now! I know I am neglecting many characters speaking and being mentioned in this story but please bear in mind this is just following Percy and Annabeth's journey to recovery in the midst of PTSD. Ask me any questions you have and please review!**


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